General Admission Requirements for Bachelor Programs

3D Animation & Visual Effects (Bachelor of Art & Design)

NCEA — You are advised to take a combination
of traditional and digital art subjects (these could
include Art, Digital Technologies, Digital and Visual
Communications, or Ngā Toi). CIE — You are advised to take at least one Art-related
subject. IB — Your IB Diploma must include an arts-related
subject. A portfolio showcasing your
design skills is also required.

Graphic, Interactive & Motion Design (Bachelor of Media Design)

NCEA — You are advised to take a combination
of traditional and digital art subjects (these could
include Art, Digital Technologies, Digital and Visual
Communications, or Ngā Toi). CIE — You are advised to take at least one Art-related
subject. IB — Your IB Diploma must include an arts-related
subject. A portfolio showcasing your
design skills is also required.

Game Art (Bachelor of Creative Technologies)

NCEA — You are advised to take a combination
of traditional and digital art subjects (these could
include Art, Digital Technologies, Digital and Visual
Communications, or Ngā Toi). CIE — You are advised to take at least one Art-related
subject. IB — Your IB Diploma must include an arts-related
subject. A portfolio showcasing your
design skills is also required.

Game Programming (Bachelor of Software Engineering)

NCEA — Students must take a minimum of 24
credits across any of the following subjects:
Mathematics (or Statistics or Calculus), Physics OR
Technology at NCEA Level 3. CIE — You must take two of the following subjects:
Mathematics, Physics or Computing as subjects. IB — Your IB Diploma include two of the following
subjects: Mathematics Computer Science or
Physics.
Australia — You must take either Mathematics A, B,
or C AND Physics as subjects. English is also highly
recommended.

General Admission Requirements for Diploma Programs

Foundation Course (Diploma in Digital Creativity)

Minimum 16 years old (domestic) or 18 years old (international). No formal qualifications required for this course. Applicant considered after submitting portfolio, support references and personal statement). Literacy and numeracy requirements highly recommended.

Creative Advertising (Diploma in Creative Advertising)

Minimum of 18 years old and can demonstrate determination, problem solving, lateral thought, motivation and creativity.

CIE University Entrance

PART A

• A minimum of 120 points on the UCAS Tariff at A or AS level from any syllabus groups from those available in New Zealand which are broadly equivalent to those in the list of approved subjects for NCEA, and

• A D grade or better in syllabuses from at least three different syllabus groups (excluding Thinking Skills)

PART B - LITERACY

Either an E grade or better in any one of AS English Language, Language and Literature in English, or Literature in English. A ‘D’ grade or better will satisfy one of the syllabus requirements of Part A.

NUMERACY

Either a ‘D’ grade or better in IGCSE or GCSE mathematics, or any mathematics passed at AS level. A ‘D’ grade or better will satisfy one of the syllabus requirements of Part A.

IB University Entrance

An applicant will be deemed to be eligible for admission if they have been awarded the full International Baccalaureate Diploma (24 points minimum).

An IB Diploma must be completed with English as Language A1 at either Higher or Standard Level and including any mathematics subject satisfies the literacy and numeracy requirements for university entrance.

Australian University Entrance requirements

Student must have completed Year 12 (High School Certificate or equivalent qualification) with an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) of 69.6 (minimum) or a Queensland Overall Position (OP) score of 14.

Special Admission

Special Admission is a way to be considered for entrance if you are a New Zealand or Australian citizen or permanent resident, are over 20 years of age on the first day of semester and want to study at University, but don't have a formal university entrance qualification. Applicants who do not meet requirements for general admission, and have relevant experience and skills may apply for special admission, which must be supported by a professional portfolio or documented industry experience.

Discretionary Admission

Discretionary Entrance is based on the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) Level 2 (or higher), and is available to applicants who have gained exceptional results in Year 12. You must be under 20, be a New Zealand or Australian citizen or permanent resident, and not be otherwise qualified for entrance to university. Discretionary Entrance is not available to international students.

English Language Requirement

Media Design School expects all students to be proficient in English at an academic level. All applicants whose first language is not English will be required to provide evidence of their proficiency in English through IELTS (International English Language Testing System) or TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) from an accredited organisation. To study at Media Design School, we require a valid IELTS (Academic) certificate of 6.0 overall with no band score less than 5.5 in each component or equivalent of TOEFL scores for all our qualifications. A transcript of your results (or certified copy) should be included with your application. IELTS and alternative test results are only accepted for two years from the examination date. Visit www.ielts.org for further information.

Recognition of Prior Learning Recognition

Prior Learning (RPL) or advanced standing may be granted to students with prior tertiary education and experience relevant to the intended programme of study. Applicants must also provide a strong portfolio showing substantial creative and technical potential. The admissions team will recommend a transfer credit based on academic transcripts, appropriate industry experience and the applicant's ability to communicate strong commitment to the intensive nature of the course for which they are applying. RPL must be requested at the time of application. Applicants wishing to be considered for RPL for previous studies at other New Zealand or overseas tertiary institutes must provide certified copies of academic transcripts as well as detailed course outlines. Qualifications completed more than five years from date of application cannot be recognised. All photocopied documents (results, transcripts, certificates, etc.) must be certified as true and correct copies. Documents that have not been certified will not be accepted.

Hi! I'm Doris from the Admissions team here at Media Design School. Please contact me if you have any questions.